The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-29
THE CANvAssER AS AN ACTOR.
Some of the Analogies Between Their
Respective Occupations.

Respective occupations.
New York, May 2S.--The plac-
ards in the halls of office build
ings are no more regarded by ''beggars,
peddlars and book agents. in New York than
elsewhere. The man with patented device
will get there just the same. There is
strong analogy between the occupation of
the actor and that of the canvasser Each
has for his object the communication of an
interest which is entirely fictitious so far
as he himself is concerned. The canvasser
is often genuine artist. He has his exits
and his entrance; his good lines and his
striking situations. He knows where his
audience OF one or two will applaud Just as
Booth knows when his audience of one or
two thousand will be moved TO express it
self. Each has done the same thing time
and time again. The actor says: ITO be or
not to be-" the canvasser says: ITO buy or
not to buy" day after day with the same
| expression; and Booth has as much idea of
committing suicide when he says his line as
the canvasser has that his wares are valua-
bic when he tells you life isn't worth living
without them. They may be exceptions
now and then, but they do not include the
best artists. The actor sometimes blunts his
dagger that he may not really strike 1t into
his heart when things get blue about the
end Of the third act; and the canvasser has
been known to buy his own trouser-stretcher
but such deeds are rare
Once you take this view of the subject and
you are safe against canvasserS. 1t is the
novice at the theatre who thinks the hero
must enjoy squeezing the heroine's hand.
The old-timer has attended a rehearsal or
two, and has seen the venerable lady with
out her war paint. Even thus am | proof
against the canvaSSef. No more shall he
perSude me that his trousers-stretcher is a
suitable Christmas present for my grand
mother, for recognize the method in his
his madness when he tells me with a trem-
| bling voice how much the dear old lady
needs one, aud how handy it would be to
| poke the fire with.
How carelessly the canyasser points out
the defects in rival machines, as il they
| We're beneath his notice All this is the re-
| suit OF hard work. He has looked up all his
competitors and has visited them as pros
pective buyer. His experience has enabled
him to PICK out the weak points. An in
stance OF this shrewd business policy came
to my notice the other day and it was very
| funny. IL gave my friend, Franklin
Ringer, nickname and cost him bottle of
wine. A number of us were sitting in his
! office when stranger, having something
| the air of a rustic, entered and at once
saluted the assembled company with the
words:
Il want to look at this 'ere (w)ringer O.
| yourn.n
Everybody said "WhatF' in a way that
ought to have abashed the visitor, but it
| didn't.
II want ter see Franklin W. Ringer" he
continued.
| Mr. Ringer looked up with glance like a
double-barreled shotgun loaded with shin
| gle nails.
Il believe I'm the only Frankling Ringer
| there is about these premises, y said he.
"Yeour shouted the countryman, "why
l thought it was a machine! Yeou don't
tell me it's man."
ITO the best of my knowledge and be-
lief, it is"
| "WeI, I'll be darned! I beg your par
don, I'm sure. Yer see I'm selling the
patent Lightnin' Clos Wringer up'n our Sec
tion, and seein' Franlin Ringer printed on
your door, thought I'd come in an get
some points son it..
You'd better get point from the spell
ing book TO begin with," said Ringer, but
the fiend was gone.
We suggested that Ringer go out and get
patent on himself, and made various other
remarks tending to sooth his ruffled tenn
per, but he has not been quite himself since.
CHARLES W. HooKE